Yokosuka Base, conference room

"I'm glad you're all right," Murrue said, smiling at her civilian counterpart in relief. "I heard things were difficult on the Moon."

"You can say that again!" Yurika said feelingly. "Had a run-in with the Radam, but the Gradosians were the big news. Their Supreme Commander, a guy named Ru Kain, came out in person! Had this flashy gold SPT and everything!"

Nagare Akatsuki groaned at the memory. "It was the first SPT we'd seen that could really match Layzner. It might have looked flashy, but it was still tough. He personally sank the Menelaos," he added, giving Murrue a vaguely sympathetic look.

"Given all that, Eiji Asuka, are you still prepared to fight?" Natarle asked, looking closely at their resident Gradosian. "As I recall, you wanted to see a peace agreement between Earth and Grados."

Eiji didn't flinch. "I still hope to see it, but for now I can only continue the fight. Ru Kain is a dangerous man, but if he can be removed, we might be able to negotiate directly with the homeworld." He sighed, but his gaze remained steady. "Until then, I stand with Layzner and my friends to protect Earth."

"I have to say, that comes as a relief," Murrue said. "You're a big help to us, Eiji."

Inside, though, she couldn't help a pang of regret that he had to fight at all. Much like Kira, Eiji was forced to fight against people dear to him, indeed had already killed one outright, albeit by accident. It just wasn't right.

"Oh, yeah," Yurika said, "we've got some new info on the Jovians, too!"

Murrue sat back, intrigued, as Yurika and a couple others from the Nadesico related the events surrounding the Jovian mech they'd captured at Kawasaki. To the surprise of just about everyone, it had turned out to be a manned unit, and the pilot managed to infiltrate the Nadesico before finally being captured. Which was when things went truly insane.

"So the Jovians are neither Gradosian nor machine, but humans from Jupiter?" Murrue said, shaking her head. "It's hard to believe."

"I know how you feel, but it's true," Yurika said. "That Shiratori guy even knew Gekiganger."

Murrue blinked at the apparent non sequitur. "Um, pardon?"

"It's an old TV show Akito and a few of the others are into," Mu said, shaking his head. "A lot of the Jovian mechs look like machines from the show."

Even Yurika Misumaru was visibly nonplussed by the whole thing. "Yeah, it's like their whole military is based on it. Crazy, isn't it?"

"For once, I agree with Captain Misumaru," Natarle said, looking vaguely like she'd bitten a lemon. "However," she looked with narrowed eyes at Erina Kinjo Won, "wasn't Nergal Heavy Industries already aware of this?"

Dead silence fell. Murrue shot a quick glance at Yurika, but the other woman merely shrugged, clearly just as surprised. The others wore expressions of shock to varying degrees (save, oddly, Nagare Akatsuki and Inez Fressange).

"What!?" Akito Tenkawa exploded. "I never heard anything about that!"

It took a few minutes to restore some semblance of order after that little bombshell. For herself, Murrue was inclined to side with Akito; for Nergal to withhold that kind of information was, in her opinion, borderline treasonous. Misunderstandings of such magnitude were something they simply could not afford.

"Colonists from Earth, driven off the Moon only to end up in the Jupiter Sphere," Natarle murmured. "Still, whatever the Federation government of the time may have done, it was a hundred years ago. They're the ones attacking people who have nothing to do with it."

Kira, Murrue noted, appeared to disagree, but kept quiet. Probably because of his friendship with Patrick Zala's son.

"It gets better," Noal Vereuse put in. "Ran into an ex-Federation officer working with the Gradosians."

Natarle went rigid. "Impossible," she said, sounding like she half-believed it anyway. "There's no way an Earthling would side with the Gradosians."

"'Fraid so." That was Shinobu Fujiwara, looking even more irritated than usual. "Guy name of Shapiro Keats, used to be an instructor at the West Point Academy."

That name Murrue recognized, and not fondly. She remembered Shapiro Keats from early in the G-weapon project, a pompous blowhard of a man with an ego the size of Jupiter. Unfortunately, that ego was coupled with genuine ability, both as a strategist and in the cockpit.

"Okay, why would a Federation instructor be fighting for the Gradosians?" Mu wondered. "It doesn't make any sense."

Sara Yuki had an odd look on her face, but it was Shapiro who replied. "Bastard said something about picking the winning side. Went on and on about how we couldn't possibly stop the Gradosians, so we might as well just surrender and maybe do some good that way."

Hikaru Amano snorted derisively. "We can't win? He's never seen Kira or Toya in action."

From what Murrue remembered of him, there was at least a good chance Keats would underestimate them. Especially Kira, since Granteed's power was at times all too obvious. Which did not, unfortunately, obviate the danger of someone with intimate knowledge of Earth's defenses working for the enemy.

"So, that about sums it up for us," Yurika said. "How 'bout you guys?"

Murrue grimaced. "We've had a few clashes with the Reclaimers and the Boazanians. It hasn't been all bad, though; two Reclaimers have joined our cause," she added, nodding at Yu Isami and Kanan Gims. "Unfortunately, there has been an incident regarding Mithril, though I suppose you'd have heard about it by now." That last was directed at the Dancouga team.

"Yeah, we heard," Shinobu confirmed, looking like he wanted to punch someone. Which, to be sure, was hardly unusual. "Some mercs in Arm Slaves hit a hospital, and Major Kalinin's gone missing."

Which, in turn, was the most unsettling part of the whole affair. Murrue had only met Andrei Sergeyevich Kalinin once, but he'd impressed her with his professionalism and raw ability.

"There is one other thing," Ruri said. "During our encounter with the Radam, a new Tekkaman appeared. D-Boy identified him as 'Tekkaman Evil,' but refuses to say anything more."

Duo almost exploded out of his chair. "Say what!?" he burst out. "What'd this freak look like?"

"Red and black, really spiky," Noal said. "Sure looked Evil to me. Dangerous as hell, too."

The God of Death sat back, covering his face with one hand. "Yeah, that's all we need, another one of those Tekkaman freaks."

"It isn't really surprising, though," Prospector said. "We've already encountered two Tekkamen, Dagger and our own D-Boy. Considering the Radam's usual methods, it stands to reason there would be more of them. Unfortunately, D-Boy won't say how many more, not even to Mister Freeman or Aki."

And interrogation would undoubtedly be useless. Murrue certainly wasn't prepared to have Tekkaman Blade taken into custody, even assuming Heinrich von Freeman was willing to cooperate. Which, they all knew, he wasn't, and he had the backing of both Koichiro Misumaru and Treize Khushrenada.

"In any case, our task force will continue to operate as we have been," Murrue said. "Dismissed. And thank you."

Archangel, observation deck

There wasn't much to see while the ship was in port, but it was still a good place to think. Cagalli did not for an instant regret her decision to leave Orb and continue fighting. It was the right thing to do, and besides, even her father acknowledged she'd made a lot of friends, showing particular approval of Kira, Toya, Eiji, and of all people Zechs Merquise.

"Penny for your thoughts, Miss Cagalli."

She jumped, startled. "Lieutenant Noin? I was just bored. And drop the 'Miss,' will you? Just Cagalli will do."

Noin smiled. "That's fine. So, Cagalli, what brings you up here? You're usually more social than that."

Cagalli shrugged. "Like I said, I was bored. Most of the others are busy anyway; Toya and the girls are hauling Granteed back over to the Nadesico, and Kira's hanging around with Flay when he's not working on the Strike."

She was unable to keep a slightly venomous note out of her voice when she mentioned Flay Allster, and Noin noticed. "Don't like Flay, do you?"

"I-It's not what you're thinking!" Cagalli said. "I just . . . she just gets on my nerves."

Noin chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't tell. Seriously, though, what's on your mind?"

The younger woman took a moment to gather her thoughts. "I guess I'm a bit frustrated," she said, looking out at the dock. The Nadesico was visible no more than fifty meters away. "Don't get me wrong, I still think I made the right choice to come along, but there's not that much I can do, really."

"Don't sell yourself short, Cagalli," Noin said. "I've seen you in action; anybody who can keep up with Mu La Flaga like that has a lot of talent."

High praise indeed, especially coming from a near-legendary instructor and close associate of "Lightning Count" Zechs Merquise. It was enough to make Cagalli stop and think, if only for a moment. True, she was welcomed by just about everyone (including Natarle Badgiruel, who at least understood the need for more pilots), and she'd established a decent record.

Still. . . .

"There's only so much I can do in a fighter," she said. "It's always people like Kira and Toya doing all the heavy lifting."

"I'd say 'be careful what you wish for,' but I don't think it would make any difference," Noin said with a small smile. "Look at it this way: sooner or later we'll be getting a few more mobile suits, and you'll be a shoe-in. Especially," Noin looked at her sidelong, "if I help you train up."

Cagalli's head snapped around. "Seriously?"

Noin's smile widened. "Let's just say I've seen that kind of attitude before, and we need all the skilled pilots we can get. What do you think?"

The tomboy princess felt an answering smile cross her face. "Why not, Instructor Noin."

Nadesico, cafeteria

Tenia collapsed in the nearest chair with a soft groan. "Damn, I've been looking forward to this. It's been ages since I tasted Akito's cooking."

Toya considered pointing out it had only been a couple of weeks since Kawasaki, but quickly thought better of it. Hyperbole was Tenia's stock in trade where food was concerned, and she'd made no secret of her dislike for the usual military fare.

For that matter, he himself was glad to be back on the Nadesico, and not simply because of Akito. Much as he'd come to like the Archangel's crew (with the notable exception of Natarle Badgiruel), the Nergal ship was just more comfortable all around.

"This seat taken?" Appearing to take silence for assent, Noal set his tray down opposite Melua. "I hear things have been just as crazy planetside."

Toya groaned, recalling their last Plate operation. "You could say that. The Reclaimers are getting more active, and we had a nasty run-in with the Boazanians. But you probably knew that."

Noal took a large bite of fish. "Yeah, we got the reports. What's got me worried, though, is that new Tekkaman. I'm dead sure D-Boy knows something, but he ain't talking."

"Not like he ever does," Katia pointed out. "Didn't it seem like he knew Tekkaman Dagger somehow?"

Toya looked at her curiously. "Are you saying his amnesia really is faked?"

"It's certainly possible," Katia said. "I wouldn't even blame him; it's pretty obvious he's suffered a lot because of the Radam. It would be natural to want to leave the past behind."

From the sudden thoughtful look on Noal's face, it was evident the Space Knights pilot had never considered the possibility. Certainly he had accused D-Boy of faking amnesia on first coming aboard the Nadesico, but apparently it had never occurred to him that the Tekkaman might have had good reason for doing so.

"Eh, whatever," he said after a moment's thought, digging into his lunch once more. "Hell with it. I'll let Dark Boy stew for a while."

Toya left it at that, choosing to just watch his crewmates. Amusingly enough, D-Boy wandered in almost as soon as Noal had stopped speaking. He did appear more withdrawn than usual, but offered a cordial greeting to Kaname before sitting at a far table by himself.

The Shuffle Alliance (sans Domon) were having some kind of debate with the Combattler Team. They were too far away for Toya to hear what was said, but it appeared rather heated; Chibodee had to be restrained from punching Hyoma. Who was in turn being restrained by Juzo and Chizuru.

Home sweet home, Toya thought, then did a mental double-take. When did I start to think of this tub as "home"?

Calvina Coulange chose that moment to arrive. Her cool blue eyes scanned the room, until they landed on Toya. She picked up a tray and moved to join them. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Don't worry about it," Toya said. "I wanted to catch up with you anyway."

"My thoughts exactly," the tactical adviser said. "Sadly," there was just a hint of dry humor in Calvina's ice blue eyes, "there was no opportunity to punch Professor Fressange or Erina Won. More seriously, there was no sign of the enemies we faced at Kawasaki."

She did not, Toya noted, mentioned Al-Van Lunks or Ja-Mu Dalbi by name. Not that he blamed her. "Same here," he said. "We fought the Reclaimers and the Boazanians, that's pretty much it."

Calvina didn't reply right away, apparently absorbed in her meal. Which, to be sure, was more normal for her; if Toya wasn't mistaken, this was the longest conversation he or practically anyone had managed with her. Then again, Calvina was much more driven after they had faced them.

"At least Akito's safe," Toya said, more to fill the dead air than anything else. "Back up to full strength, and he's our best cook."

Calvina smiled very slightly at that. "You have a point."

Nadesico, bridge

Sosuke was having a bad day. First Major Kalinin was abducted, in the same attack that resulted in the loss of the prisoner Takuma and injuries to Captain Testarossa. Then there was an inexplicable misunderstanding with Chidori, apparently relating to said Captain. And then, to top it off, Master Sergeant Mao had chewed him out for the misunderstanding, her explanation of it clearing things up not at all.

He wondered if he would ever understand civilians.

On the plus side, it was a trivial matter to persuade Captain Misumaru to launch a rescue operation. Which was only to be expected, after the mess that had led Sosuke and his squadmates to join this task force in the first place. He still thought she was a bit too unstable to be a proper captain, but there was no denying she came through when it counted.

"Sorry to impose on you, Captain Misumaru," Tessa was saying.

Yurika waved a hand. "Eh, don't worry about it. You've helped us out, so it's only fair we return the favor. That's what friends do."

"You're right about that," Tessa said with a smile.

A soft throat-clearing over the comm interrupted. "Are you sure about this operation?" Natarle asked. "We have very little intelligence on this."

For all that she behaved as a solid officer, Sosuke didn't really like Natarle Badgiruel. Something about her seemed a little off, though she was certainly no Blue Cosmos fanatic. Or perhaps he was just imagining things; Kaname Chidori wasn't the only person to accuse him of paranoia.

"The Captain from Mithril gave us all the intel we need!" Yurika said. "Don't worry, we won't need the Archangel for this; it's just a quick smash-and-grab."

"Don't knock it," Toya said quietly, appearing to sense Sosuke's skepticism. "She's gotten us out of some really tight spots before."

Sosuke gave a brief nod, recalling Kaohsiung among others.

"Still, you shouldn't go completely alone," Murrue was saying. "We'll send the Skygraspers, Strike, and Tallgeese as backup."

"That'll work fine!" Yurika said. "Everybody ready? Let's go!"

Chidori chose that moment to walk onto the bridge. She glanced around, visibly confused. "Okay, what gives? What's all the commotion about?"

Toya paused next to her. "We're about to head into action, Kaname," he said. "You might want to get below."

"Okay, fine, but what's up with her?" she said, nodding at Tessa. "Isn't she your friend or something, Sosuke?"

So that was the misunderstanding. Sosuke still didn't quite get it, but at least now he knew where Chidori was coming from. Sort of. "Friend? I'm nothing more than her subordinate. She's the captain of the Tuatha de Danann, the submarine I'm normally assigned to."

His charge's jaw dropped. "Huh? Seriously?"

"It's true," Ruri Hoshino said. "We heard about it before."

"Well, yeah, I knew she was with Mithril, but, captain?" Chidori shook her head.

"Enough talk," Yurika said. "Let's move!"

Terrorist hideout

Andrei Sergeyevich Kalinin had been in worse jams, but not lately. He had none but himself to blame, though; he should have been more on his guard, ensured proper security at the hospital. What had happened there was ultimately a rookie mistake.

No sense beating himself up, though. Kalinin had no fear for his own life; his captors seemed uninterested in killing him, and if he knew Captain Testarossa she was already plotting a rescue mission. To say nothing of the bleeding-hearts who populated the Nadesico and to a lesser extent the Archangel.

Part of him pitied Seina and her comrades. They had no idea the kind of firepower that was likely headed their way. Uruz Squad was the best Mithril had, and he had to suppress a wince at the thought of Savages or Shadows facing monstrosities like Zeorymer or Granteed. Sosuke's reports about those units were terrifying even to an old soldier like him.

"Do you really think this will change anything?" he said at last. "All you've done is draw the attention of the UEFA's most powerful force. You can't win."

The young woman shrugged indifferently. "It doesn't matter. I don't really care anymore. I just want to see it all burn."

Kalinin sighed. "That will change nothing. The Federation and the PLANTs will still be out there. You'll have accomplished nothing but a pointless death."

"Like I said, I don't care anymore," Seina said. "The Federation, the PLANTs, Orphan, all of it can rot for all I care."

"Is that what your leader would have wanted?"

Another shrug, this one with a decidedly fatalistic air. "Probably not, but he's not here anymore."

Harbor district

Patience, Sosuke had learned long ago, was one of the most important weapons in a soldier's arsenal. The urge to do something, anything, could at times be overpowering, but it had to be suppressed. Attacking prematurely all too often led to defeat.

So it was that he sat patiently in his immobile Arm Slave, almost perfectly concealed beneath the ECS stealth system. A few meters north and west of him, Kurz and Mao's M9s lay in wait, likewise concealed by the ECS. To the south, hidden by its bizarre hyper jammer system, was Duo Maxwell's menacing Gundam Deathscythe.

For his part, Sosuke was glad to have the Colony Gundam pilot along. Deathscythe was perfect for this kind of operation, and while he was known to be rather excitable when not in combat, the "God of Death" was an expert at ambush tactics.

"Enemy outpost confirmed," Mao's voice said in his ear. "Ready?"

"Uruz Six, copy that!" Kurz said.

Sosuke keyed his com. "Uruz Seven, ready."

"Duo here, I'm good to go," the Gundam pilot said.

"Then let's smoke 'em out!"

Sosuke deactivated Arbalest's ECS, at the same time bringing his assault rifle to bear on a nearby Savage. Before the mercenary even knew what was happening, Sosuke had perforated the AS, leaving it—and its pilot—a lifeless hulk. Mao and Kurz were equally efficient, reducing two more Savages to scrap.

Duo's appearance was rather more dramatic, but no less effective. Sosuke actually winced at the thought of what it must have been like for the Gundam's target; a demonic machine, easily twice the size of an Arm Slave, bearing a glowing scythe. Death itself in mechanized form.

Two more fell, riddled with bullets and energy fire. In their wake was the red-orange shape of Gundam Heavyarms, marching inexorably through the chaos of battle. Ruthless even by Sosuke's standards, Trowa methodically cut down anything that tried to approach. The few who did get through were met by Gundam Sandrock, and dispatched accordingly.

"First wave, down," Mao said cheerfully. "Got more incoming; we have air support on the way?"

Her answer came in a double roar of engines, Mu La Flaga and Cagalli Yula Athha in their Skygraspers. Slightly behind them was the larger, slower form of the Blue Earth, dual laser cannon already spitting death.

"This enough for ya?" Mu said with a grin. For a moment he and Cagalli were practically canopy-to-canopy, and then they split off, trapping a couple of enemy mechs in a pincer.

"I've pinpointed the leader,' Heero said, shifting his Wing Gundam to its humanoid form. "A Savage, almost due south."

"This was made for us," Mao said. "Sosuke, on point; we'll cover you."

Theoretically a Savage was no match for his Arbalest, but Sosuke hadn't stayed alive by taking things for granted. It was axiomatic that overconfidence killed more soldiers than almost anything else, and it was unlikely their enemies were defending that particular area without reason.

"Flankers, incoming!"

And there they were. At least three Savages, guarding a warehouse near the docks. Unluckily for them, Zechs Merquise and Kira Yamato soon had them pinned down, their weapons effectively useless against the Strike's PSA and Tallgeese's sheer speed.

Leaving Sosuke free to focus on the lead Savage. His initial attack was a clean miss; the enemy pilot was evidently a cut above the others. Unsurprised, Sosuke took a few steps to his left, then leaned hard in the opposite direction, trying for an oblique shot. Again, a miss, and ricochets from return fire spanged off his armor.

This one's dangerous. Aware that the larger mechs couldn't intervene without risking unacceptable levels of collateral damage, Sosuke ducked behind another warehouse and considered his options. In all likelihood he was on his own; the SPTs, while small, were busy covering the newly-arrived Nadesico, and Tekkaman Blade was easily as destructive as Granteed.

He needed an opening.

Sosuke's eye flickered back and forth. He'd made a point of memorizing the city's general layout when he was first assigned to the Nadesico, so he at least had a good idea of where he was. It was best, he thought, to assume his opponent had the same knowledge.

What they didn't have, in all likelihood, was his experience.

Edging past the warehouses, Sosuke checked his ammo. More than enough to deal with a single Shadow, assuming he could draw a bead on it. Most of the remaining Arm Slaves seemed to be occupied by the rest of the task force, which still left him with this persistent leader unit.

"Careful, everyone!" Yurika said out of the blue. "We've got Boazanians incoming, so finish up quick as you can!"

Sosuke had to force himself not to grumble. Boazanians were just the complication they did not need.

A hail of gunfire interrupted his thoughts, forcing him to jump back. The source was easy enough to find; a lone Shadow, this one red in color, with a Gatling gun on one arm. Something about it was hauntingly familiar, like a specter from the past.

Sosuke firmly dismissed the thought. The red Shadow had opened fire on him, ergo it was an enemy unit, and had to be eliminated. Wishing briefly that he had something like Phase-Shift Armor or Gundanium plating, he skidded to one side as more Gatling fire tracked him.

Who is he!? Why is this so familiar!? He snapped up his rifle, fired, and missed; the red AS was too fast. Gritting his teeth, Sosuke jumped to the nearest rooftop, hoping that higher ground would give him at least a small edge. With his opponent's fire drawing ever closer, he needed every advantage he could get.

There! High ground was high ground, and that roof was just enough for him to have a good line on the red Shadow. Baring his teeth, he squeezed the trigger, sending a hailstorm of lead into his opponent. It wasn't quite a direct hit, but it was enough to stagger the other AS, at which point Layzner appeared, forcing it into retreat.

It was too easy, Sosuke knew. The red AS pilot obviously had other things to take care of, else the battle would either have lasted longer, or Sosuke would have ended up dead. Only Gauron had ever pressed him harder.

Not that it mattered just then. He'd found the leader, and had a near-perfect angle. Trusting Eiji to guard his back, he took aim and opened fire. This time he scored directly, blowing one of the Savage's arms off and crippling both legs. It staggered, stumbled to another warehouse, and vanished.

Sosuke started to pursue, intending to confirm the enemy was neutralized, but a violent explosion nearly knocked the Arbalest off its feet. "This is Uruz 7; what was that!?"

"Unknown enemy unit detected," Ruri said. "It appears to be an Arm Slave, except it's. . . ." She paused. "It's too big."

He didn't need to look very hard. The huge, bulky red Arm Slave had reduced the warehouse it was hiding in to rubble. It was immediately clear why Ruri was so uncertain in her ID; the thing was easily the size of a mobile suit, dwarfing Sosuke's Arbalest. The mysterious AS appeared to be on the slow side, but that was small comfort.

"I'm sorry, Sis," a vaguely familiar male voice said. "All that's left of you now . . . is this Behemoth."

Sosuke recognized the voice; it was the escaped prisoner, Takuma. "This is Uruz 7, moving to engage." Exchanging his rifle to the more powerful shotgun, he dashed forward, dodged a clumsy kick, and fired.

To no effect.

"What the hell!?" Noal demanded. "A Boxer shot at point-blank range!? That thing should be scrap!"

"Then we'll try this!" D-Boy swooped in, shoulder panels already open. "VOLTEKKAAAAAAAA!"

Still nothing. The enormous AS, the "Behemoth" as Takuma had called it, wasn't so much as scorched. Sosuke's mind flashed back to his last encounter with the psychotic Gauron, how the lunatic's AS had shrugged off everything Sosuke and Koji could throw at him. It had to be the same system.

Toya proceeded to underscore it. "Let's go. Orgone Slave!" An argent beam of green energy struck the Behemoth, but like D-Boy's Voltekka was completely ineffective.

"Takuma, please, stop this!" It was Captain Testarossa, speaking from the Nadesico. "You don't have to keep fighting?"

"Miss Testarossa?" Takuma seemed to hesitate for a moment. "You wouldn't understand. This Behemoth is all that's left of my sister, and I'm . . . all I am is its pilot."

Kira seemed to take exception to that, charging in with a beam saber drawn. Unfortunately, he miscalculated just enough for the Behemoth to catch him with its clumsy blade. The Strike was slammed through a warehouse, its Aile pack visibly sparking.

"You okay, Kira!?" Yurika asked anxiously.

The Strike clambered to its feet. "Will be," Kira said. He grimaced. "My Striker pack is damaged, though."

"That's what we're for," Mu said, swooping in. "Here, kid, switch to the Launcher for now. We can recover the Aile pack later."

"Roger that, Commander," Kira said. "Thanks."

Sosuke had on occasion thought Kira Yamato too soft to be a soldier, but there was no denying the smooth competence the young Coordinator displayed as he ejected the damaged Aile pack and equipped the fresh Launcher. Nor did he show any hesitation in bringing the massive Agni hyper-impulse cannon to bear.

"Sosuke!" It was, incredibly, Chidori. "Sosuke, listen up! That big lummox has the same system as his AS. Focus on the cooling system, and you should be able to weaken it enough for the others to damage it."

"Uh, Kaname, do you know something about that thing?" Mao asked carefully.

He could almost hear Chidori's shrug. "Well, something like that."

Regardless of the source, there was nothing to lose by trying. Sosuke dropped the Arbalest on its back and skidded beneath the Behemoth; its sword nearly struck him, but Gundam Rose was there in an instant, parrying the clumsy blade. Then he was in position and focused, peppering the massive AS's cooling system.

Sliding out the other side, he caught a glimpse of a small explosion on the Behemoth's undercarriage. Did that do it?

"Looks like we have a winner!" Chibodee said smugly. "Take this, freak! BURNING PUNCH!"

Though similar in size, the Behemoth was far more cumbersome than a mobile suit. Even as Takuma turned to face Gundam Maxter, he was already under attack from another direction. Roanne Demitrich's rifle and shoulder cannon were flashing, chipping away at Behemoth's armor.

"You're in the sweet spot there, Sosuke!"Mao said. "Finish him off!"

"Roger that." Sosuke brought his shotgun up one more time, aiming at the weakened armor in the center of Behemoth's torso. A single shot at close range, and it was over.

"That was fun," Tenia said sourly, scowling at her displays. "Never thought an AS could actually be a threat to Granteed."

"Take it as a reminder not to be overconfident," Katia said absently, fingers dancing over her board. "No problem with scanners. Melua?"

"Propulsion is all green," the blonde said. "We can move anytime."

At least something was going right for a change. Toya could see a Boazanian Skullrook and more Battle Beasts than he cared to think about coming in from the south. On the plus side, the Archangel had appeared on their flank, and Noin and Hilde were already launching.

With a resounding crash Toya felt even through Granteed's heavy armor, two massive shapes landed between their force and the incoming Battle Beasts. Combattler and Voltes, looking none the worse for wear since the incident with the Super EM Disruptor.

"Combattler and Voltes?" Natarle said, sounding just a bit perplexed. "Have you recovered already?"

It was Hyoma who answered. "We think so. Our mechs have been refitted with something called Ultramagnecon, a bit of weird tech Kenichi's dad left behind. It should be able to resist that disruptor gadget."

"No offense, Hyoma, but I've never liked relying on 'should,'" Akatsuki put in, banking to avoid a missile attack. "I prefer to bank on certainties."

"Same here, but it's not like we've got any other way to test it," Hyoma said.

Not even Natarle could argue that point, and a moment later they had their test. A Battle Beast identical to the one that had previously crippled the Super EM units had launched from the Skullrook. The same painfully bright wave of energy pulsed from its head.

Toya held his breath.

"No effect!" Kosuke said triumphantly. "Both machines are working fine!"

"Good," Kenichi said. "Let's get some of our own back. Ready, Hyoma?"

It was always amazing to see such bulky units moving with such speed. Combattler thrust its hands forward, somehow generating a whirlwind that enveloped Voltes, launching it high in the air. With a loud cry, Kenichi drove his sword down into the Battle Beast at an angle, then out in a V-shaped cut. An instant later, Combattler drilled through the Boazanian mech's central core.

Even at a distance, the explosion was quite spectacular.

"Two more incoming, unknown design," Sai said crisply.

Combattler and Voltes moved to intercept, but it was soon apparent something was wrong. Both machines staggered, and though they recovered enough to actually strike the new arrivals, their attacks were ineffective.

"What the hell!?" Hyoma demanded. "What's going on!?"

"The Ultramagnecon is overloading!" Kosuke replied. "And those new Battle Beasts have tougher armor than most!"

Just great.

Two more craft chose that moment to appear, diving in and firing on the armored Battle Beasts, causing little damage but forcing them back just enough. One appeared Earth-built, glossy black, though Toya didn't recognize the design. The other seemed to follow what little he knew of Boazanian aesthetics.

"I've seen that black one before, in Africa," Cagalli said, circling just out of range. "What the heck's he doing here?"

"Don't know, don't care," Shinobu said, irritated. "What about that other one? Never seen anything like it."

Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't an enemy, else it would likely have already attacked them. After everything he'd been through, Toya wasn't about to turn down extra help, whatever the source.

"Combattler, Voltes, separate and withdraw at once." The voice was male, and it sounded human, but they couldn't take anything for granted after meeting the Gradosians. "You cannot hope to fight those Armored Beasts in your current state." A small hatchway on the fighter's aft section opened. "Archangel, Nadesico, I am dropping a data capsule. Please retrieve it when the battle is over."

Knowing the Boazanian would want to capture both the capsule and the damaged mechs, Toya smashed a Battle Beast out of the way. It survived the attack, only for an Agni blast to core through it; though grounded, Kira was by no means out of the fight.

"Think we're gonna need some heavy hitters to take down those armored types," Mu opined, snap-rolling to avoid a missile attack.

"Agreed," Natarle said. "Granteed, Zeorymer, Dancouga, Wing Gundam, and Tekkaman Blade, focus on the Armored Beasts!"

Don't need to tell me twice. "Copy that. Let's go, Masato."

"I'm with you," the other pilot said. For a wonder, he actually sounded confident.

Toya grinned tightly. "Tenia, raise the Orgone Extractor output to max!"

She flashed him a smile, knowing exactly what he had in mind. "Gotcha! Busker Mode, activate!"

"Target locked on!" Katia sang out. "Ready to go, Toya!"

Fists clenching on the controls, Toya glared at the Boazanian monstrosity. "Take this, you mechanized freak! Tempest Lancer!"

As always, it was a major rush. Toya could feel his machine in a way he couldn't really describe, likely something to do with the Cytron. It was as though the green crystalline lance was in his hand, not Granteed's, his hand that plunged the weapon into the Armored Beast's core.

As the target staggered, Toya hurriedly boosted to one side. Not a moment too soon; half-turning to his left, he saw Zeorymer bring the two hemispheres on its hands together. Masato, he knew, was reluctant to use Zeorymer's full power, but here there was little choice, and they all knew it. The blinding wave of space-distorting energy twisted the damaged Armored Beast, leaving it a mass of wreckage and molten metal.

"Nice moves, you two!" Shinobu said with a grin. "Now we're up. Dancouken!"

Hotheaded though he was, there was no denying Shinobu's skill. Dancouga's huge blade bit deep into the Armored Beast's thick metal hide, releasing a shower of sparks. With a vicious snarl, Shinobu ripped it out sideways.

Which left it vulnerable to a follow-up. "Target locked on," Heero said coldly. "Firing."

Tekkaman Blade was right behind him, with another scream of "VOLTEKKAAAAAA!"

The resulting explosion, while lacking the space-twisting power of Zeorymer, was nonetheless spectacular. Not only was it blown apart the blast engulfed at least three lesser Battle Beasts in the process. It even made the Skullrook in the rear hesitate, possibly because the Boazanian commander was shocked.

Before long, things degenerated into a confused melee. Additional Battle Beasts had appeared, making things even more insane. For a while Toya had to struggle just to see what was going on, even with Zeorymer backing him up. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of one of the others, sometimes damaged, though never to the point of being crippled.

Nadesico opened up on the Skullrook; Toya had seen the modifications to the Nergal ship, of course, but hadn't truly grasped their significance. It was hard to miss, now; while the peculiar energy blast wasn't fatal, the Skullrook was visibly smoking afterward.

"Man, that's almost as nasty as Zeorymer," Tenia remarked in awe.

Mu's Skygrasper flashed past; though lacking a Striker pack, it was far from helpless. The Hawk of Endymion peppered one of the crab mechs with beam and missile fire, then dove away, actually laughing at the machine's attempt to counter. Cagalli followed an instant later, driving the Schwehrt Gewehr through what passed for its head.

Next up, almost colliding with Granteed, was a blue streak, the diminutive form of Layzner. Eiji had somehow achieved full control of the mysterious "V-Max," and was using it to lethal effect. Evidently his aversion to killing did not extend to AI-controlled units.

Zechs was dueling one of the demon samurai types, unconcerned by the size difference. He evaded its sword strikes with contemptuous ease, Tallgeese's speed making up for its relatively small size. A cut here, a bazooka shot there, he was slowly but steadily wearing it down.

He certainly didn't need to watch his back just then. Anything that somehow got behind Tallgeese was shredded by gunfire from the walking arsenal that was Gundam Heavyarms. Trowa was genial enough normally, but on the battlefield he became a veritable engine of destruction.

"But I'm still the God of Death!" Duo said, following Toya's thoughts. His scythe sliced cleanly through a crab type's control module. "That's almost all of 'em."

Indeed, the Boazanians were beginning to pull back, the Battle Beasts visibly reduced in number. Now, if Major Kalinin was still alive, it made for as good an outcome as they could have hoped for.

Mao confirmed it a moment later. "I've got the Major on my scope," she said. "Looks a bit banged up, but he's alive."

"Good," Murrue said, sounding as weary as Toya felt. "Let the Boazanians go, people; we've accomplished our mission."

Warehouse district

Kalinin wasn't normally a sentimental man, save for his wife and his interest in young Sosuke Sagara, who was like a son to him. Yet he couldn't help feeling sorry for the broken young woman at his feet, who had been betrayed by everything she knew.

"So . . . that's it," Seina gasped. "For Takuma . . . and for me."

"I wish it hadn't come to this," Kalinin murmured. "Such a waste."

Seina managed a weak chuckle. "You're more like a priest than a warrior."

Kalinin felt the slightest trickle of amusement at the thought. "That would be a fascinating change of career," he said absently.

"Guh . . . I hate you." Seina was clearly on her last breaths. "At least . . . tell me your name."

There was no harm in that. "Andrei Sergeyevich Kalinin."

"Strange name."

And it was over.

Archangel, hangar

As always after battle, Kira was exhausted. Also as always, he wasn't able to rest quite yet; Murdoch had asked for his assistance in repairing the Aile pack, which he did without complaint. For good or ill, he'd volunteered, and he wasn't about to go into combat with gear he hadn't inspected personally. Mu had taught him that much.

Cagalli, whose company he had come to cherish, was a bright spot. Already done with post-battle checks on her fighter, she double-checked the techs' work. For all her hotheaded nature, the training she'd undergone in Orb had apparently stuck.

At the moment, however, she was glaring at the departing Balzac Asimov. "What's up with that guy?" she muttered. "He keeps pestering people like this is some kind of sporting event."

Kira wasn't overly concerned. "It's not like he's causing any trouble," he pointed out.

"I still don't like him," Cagalli said. "The way he looks at you and Eiji, not to mention D-Boy."

"You think you don't like him, Cagalli?" Toya had wandered in, the girls trailing after him as usual. "D-Boy really doesn't like him." He nodded at the Tekkaman. "Had Balzac by the collar when the guy first came aboard. Heck, Aki was about read to sucker-punch him."

Kira blinked in brief surprise. Aki Kisaragi was one of the nicest people he knew, despite her near-constant exasperation with Noal. On the other hand, she was also extremely protective of the mysterious D-Boy, and highly skilled in close-quarters combat. Kira had once seen her throw Argo Gulskii clear across the mat.

"Here's some more flowers, Miletta," a voice said behind them.

Kira started. It was Miriallia, talking to her Space Knights counterpart. "Uh, huh?"

Milly smiled. "Oh, you didn't know? That's my real name."

"Since I get called 'Mir' so much, 'Milly' can be a bit too close," Miriallia explained, handing over the flowers.

"Those are amaryllis, right?" D-Boy said, looking at Milly oddly.

More surprises. Tekkaman Blade was not the sort of person one would expect to have any knowledge of—or interest in—flowers. A glance at Cagalli confirmed the tomboy princess had noticed as well. There was more going on than was apparent, he was sure.

Especially when D-Boy briefly mistook Milly for someone named "Miyuki," who turned out to be his sister.

"Something's off here," Cagalli whispered. "He doesn't remember his own name, but he can remember his sister's? Or that he even has a sister?"

"You want to try and drag it out of him?" Kira countered. "Dunno about you, but I'm not that crazy. Sara might be, but you can bet there'd be blood on the walls."

Cagalli grimaced, but didn't dispute the point. In any case, as far as Kira was concerned, D-Boy had already proved himself a reliable ally. If he had any personal problems, they would deal with them when they became a real issue.

A touch of air brought his head around, to see Zechs Merquise approaching. The Lightning Count was, as usual, unreadable behind his mask, but he was clearly there for something specific.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Zechs said, stopping a couple of meters away.

Kira shook his head. "I just finished up with the Strike. Is something wrong?"

Zechs's lip twitched. "If you have time, Treize would like to speak with you." He smiled at Kira's suddenly tense demeanor. "Don't worry, it isn't an order. He's just taken something of an interest."

Which could have meant any number of things, good and bad. Noin, however, allayed most of his fears. "Don't worry, Kira, he doesn't bite." She smiled. "He can be a little intimidating, sure, but you're no rookie anymore. I'm sure you can handle it."

And there was something to be said for staying on the Specials commander's good side. "Okay. Give me a chance to get cleaned up, and I'll be right there." He nodded at his companion. "See you when I get back."

Cagalli appeared a bit uneasy, but only a bit. "See ya."

Yokosuka Base, Treize's office

Kira had met Treize Khushrenada a couple of times before, but only during official strategy meetings. He'd never visited the man's personal office, and thus was taken aback by how, for lack of a better word, opulent it was. Granted, he'd heard Treize was European aristocracy, but it was still more elaborate than Kira had expected.

The man himself was waiting behind a large oak desk, a steaming pot of coffee close at hand. "Ah, Ensign Yamato. Please, have a seat." When Kira complied, Treize poured him a cup. "I thought you might have developed a taste for it, after spending so much time around a bunch of soldiers."

Kira took a sip. Not bad. "Noal told me the military runs on caffeine," he said. "And after meeting the Tiger. . . ." He trailed off; that wound was still all too fresh.

"I'm not surprised," Treize said. "As it happens, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Waltfeld a year before the war broke out. His loss is truly a tragedy. Not," he added, "that you are at all to be blamed."

This was turning out easier than expected. For an aristocrat, Treize was remarkably down-to-earth. "Um. . . ."

"You're wondering why I asked you here," Treize said. "To be honest, you've piqued my curiosity. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask your reason for fighting." He waved a hand. "The fact that you're a Coordinator is of no concern to me, nor am I going to hold your friendship with Patrick Zala's son against you."

It was a question Kira had asked himself many times since the Heliopolis incident, especially after learning Athrun had joined ZAFT. Thus far, he had only one answer. "My friends got caught up in this when Heliopolis was attacked," he said. "I climbed into the Strike to help them, and since they decided to stay on after Orb, so did I. I made more friends along the way, including," he watched Treize carefully, "a couple of Colony Gundam pilots."

The older man smiled. "Protecting people dear to you, probably the noblest reason for fighting." He nodded. "A purity of purpose I honestly envy. You're exactly the kind of person we need in this war."

That was not the kind of response Kira had expected. "Uh, sir?"

"I can't tell you much as of yet, but there is more going on in this war than is readily apparent." Treize's blue eyes were clouded for a brief moment. "People on both sides of the PLANT/Federation war seem to be slowly losing their humanity, even leaving aside Orphan and the various alien invasions. Thus far, Kira Yamato, you have been able to retain your humanity."

Kira grimaced. "It doesn't feel like it sometimes, sir."

"The very fact that you can honestly make such a statement shows that you have," Treize said. "Please, Kira, cling to that humanity. No matter what you are forced to do, don't lose that human heart."

Okay, this is officially weird. "Um, can I ask a question, sir?"

"Of course."

Kira moistened his lips. "Do you always speak in riddles?"

Treize chuckled. "Zechs sometimes asks me the same thing. I admit my upbringing has left me with something of a poetic streak. Still, Kira, this is important. I'm sure you'll understand when the time comes."

I hope so, because I sure don't now.

"One other thing," Treize said, just as Kira reached the door. "I hope you're able to find common ground with your friend once more."

Kira had no idea what to make of that. "Thank you, sir," he said, and made his exit.

Author's note: Really late, for a number of reasons. I'm still having trouble getting battle scenes to just the right length; no matter how much I put in, they feel too short. Hopefully that will at least improve as the battles grow in scale.

One other thing, in case it wasn't obvious, I do have something of a fascination with Treize. Whether that is good or bad, I leave to the reader.